Given the right conditions, on the right day, severe weather can take a bright, blue sky and turn it into the platform for violent thunderstorms to form. The only way to get a heads up is to know exactly what is going on in the air above our heads.

That is something Texas A&M Students in the College of Geosciences is helping to do for Brazos Valley and national meteorologists.

Dr. Don Conlee at Texas A&M leads a team of students that launch weather balloons. Not just your typical balloon filled with helium, but on that carries scientific packages into the atmosphere that provide information about variables that are important in severe weather forecasting.

Conlee says that these A&M students are helping meteorologists around Texas because they are "frequently called by the NWS offices in Houston, Fort Worth, and sometimes from the Storm Prediction Center. As the situation develops and [the Brazos Valley's] position has value, they'll launch a special weather balloon from campus."

Upper-air data is collected at specific National Weather Service Offices around the country. The closet data -- that is collected on a normal basis -- to the Brazos Valley is in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Corpus Christi, Texas or Fort Worth, Texas. That "upper-air" hole is filled by Texas A&M when severe weather is possible. With these extra soundings, forecasters gain the understanding of the atmosphere roughly 100 miles outward from College Station.

Texas A&M University, Junior Meteorology Major Rachel Sodowsky says that "just looking at it in class gets you disconnected, but when you are out there collecting [data], it's nice to see it all come together."

It's a two-fold benefit. While these students are getting valuable, hands on practice while in school, forecasters are gaining a better understanding of what is happening beyond the scope of the typical computer forecast model.

Comments may be monitored for inappropriate content, but the station is under no legal obligation to do so.
If you believe a comment violates the above rules, please use the Flagging Tool to alert a Moderator.
Flagging does not guarantee removal.

Multiple violations may result in account suspension.
Decisions to suspend or unsuspend accounts are made by Station Moderators.
Questions may be sent to comments@kbtx.com.
Please provide detailed information.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.

Chief Meteorologist Shel Winkley joined the KBTX weather team in October of 2009. Being a former KBTX intern, after graduating from Texas A&M University in 2007 with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Meteorology, Shel took off to the CBS affiliate in Amarillo. Since returning, nothing makes him happier than to call the Brazos Valley, Aggieland, and Bryan / College Station home.